The University at Albany is headed to the America East championship game, following a thrilling 61-59 victory over top-seeded Stony Brook.

Below, Mike Black's scored the game-winning basket with 2.4 seconds to play and then the crowd storms the court at SEFCU Arena.  



Here, Black talks about the victory.

ALBANY - The University at Albany started slowly in the first half, but finished the first 20 minutes well.

The Great Danes lead 28-22, and are just 20 minutes from a spot in the championship game.

UAlbany was led by Jacob Iati, who has seven points, while Mike Black added six.

Jameel Warney leads all scorers with eight points for Stony Brook. The half is the second lowest scoring output for the Seawolves, behind scoring 21 in first half against Manhattan, on Jan. 1. Stony Brook shot just 27 percent (8-29) from the floor.

University at Albany basketball players Sam Rowley and Peter Hooley talk about the team's 65-49 loss to Stony Brook on Tuesday.

The loss is the Great Danes (5-4, 16-7) third straight and knocks them into fifth in the America East Conference standings. 

ALBANY - Stony Brook provided on the court what UAlbany has been unable to prove the past three games -- they are an elite team.

The Seawolves remained in first place and look to be the best team in the conference as we get closer to the postseason tournament.

The Great Danes (5-4, 16-7) are looking more like the team of the past few seasons, where they beat the teams they should and lose to the teams ahead of them.

In one week, UAlbany has fallen from first place in the America East Conference to fifth.

Peter Hooley led the way with 17 points, but the real story was Mike Black coming up scoreless for the first time since his freshman season. Black hasn't been held without a point since Dec. 8, 2009, when he played just three minutes in a victory at Penn.

Point guard Anthony Jackson led Stony Brook with 14 points, while freshman Jameel Warney finished with a double-double (10 pts. & 10 reb.). 

ALBANY - A half that started very poorly for the University at Albany didn't end that bad.

The Great Danes fell behind 8-2 and actually endured a 15-2 run later in the half, but trail by only six at intermission.

Gary Johnson gave UAlbany a huge spark, already reaching a career-high with eight points and completing two three-point plays. Peter Hooley also has eight points for the Great Danes. Mike Black and Jacob Iati are still struggling, combining for 1-6 shooting and just three points, all from Iati.

The Seawolves were led by Tommy Brenton, who has six points, three rebounds and an assist (also two fouls).

UAlbany coach Will Brown talks about his team's upcoming game against Stony Brook and the struggles of top player Mike Black.



UAlbany redshirt freshman Peter Hooley talks about the Stony Brook game.

Here are highlights of UAlbany's semifinal matchup against Stony Brook. At about the 3:30 mark, the last play is showed and replayed a number of times.

ALBANY - Stony Brook proved they were the better team on this night.

In a very physical, very entertaining game, the Seawolves showed why they are in first place in the America East Conference, taking down the University at Albany 76-69, on Saturday evening, at a soldout SEFCU Arena.

Stony Brook (10-1, 15-7) overcame a three-point halftime deficit, getting a team-high 17 points from sophomore guard Dave Coley.

The Great Danes (7-4, 15-10) still haven't beaten one of the top three teams in the league, losing for the fourth time to Stony Brook, Vermont and Boston University, which they host Monday at SEFCU Arena.

UAlbany drops to 10-5 all-time in Big Purple Growl games.

The Great Danes women's team won the first game of the doubleheader, taking down Stony Brook 57-47, to improve to 9-2 in league play.

ALBANY - Both teams had their runs in the first half and it was an exciting 20 minutes of basketball.

Gerardo Suero, the nation's sixth leading scorer, was held off the scoreboard for the game's first eight minutes, but he ended with 11 points to lead all scorers.

Bryan Dougher leads the Seawolves with eight points.

Stony Brook has only lost one America East Conference game this season and UAlbany seems to be ignited by a huge crowd here for the 15th annual Big Purple Growl.

The Seawolves enjoyed the biggest lead in the first half, going up 19-11, following a Dougher 3-pointer.

The Great Danes came right back, going on a 12-2 run, getting an acrobatic three-point play from Suero, to take a 23-21 lead.

J.S. Carras/The Record

This is a game that plenty of people should be looking forward too.

It will also be a hard ticket to come by, as it was reported that by mid-afternoon on Friday, there was only 150 tickets remaining.

UAlbany has a chance to make a statement on Saturday and in the process, try to draw a game closer to first-place Stony Brook.

If the Seawolves win, it all but ends the Great Danes' chance of winning the regular season title, as UAlbany would fall three games behind and lose the tiebreaker, in essence four games back, with five to play.

Stony Brook have lost just one of its last 12 games and that came at Boston University, on Jan. 14, in a 61-55 setback.

15TH ANNUAL BIG PURPLE GROWL
UALBANY VS. STONY BROOK

When: Tonight, 7 p.m.
Where: SEFCU Arena (4,538), Albany 
TV: Time Warner-3
Radio: WOFX 980-AM
2011-12 Records: Stony Brook (9-1, 14-7) UAlbany (7-3, 15-9)
Last Meeting: Stony Brook 81, UAlbany 68 at Pritchard Gymnasium, Stony Brook, on Jan. 8, 2012 — UAlbany leads the all-time series 35-21
Notable: UAlbany is 10-4 all-time in Growl Games. Women’s Game vs. Stony Brook tips at 4:30 p.m.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
STONY BROOK

No.    Name    Pos.    Yr.    Ht.,    Avg.
10    Bryan Dougher    G    Sr     6-1     14.0
5    Dave Coley     G    So.     6-2    9.6
24     Tommy Brenton     G/F     Jr.     6-5    7.8
23    Dallis Joyner    F     Sr.    6-7    8.0
21    Al Rapier    F     Sr.     6-8     9.0 

UALBANY

No.    Name     Pos.    Yr.    Ht.,    Avg.   
10    Mike Black    G     Jr.    6-0    13.0
2    Logan Aronhalt     G     Jr.    6-3     15.9
20    Gerardo Suero     G     Jr.    6-4    21.6
11    Luke Devlin     F     So.    6-8     6.3
21    Blake Metcalf     C     Jr.    6-8     4.1 

AMERICA EAST STANDINGS

School    Conference    Overall
Stony Brook    9-1    14-7
Vermont    8-2    14-10
UAlbany    7-3    15-9
Boston U.     7-3     11-13
Maine     4-5     10-10
Hartford    4-6    4-18
New Hampshire     2-7    3-18
UMBC     2-7     3-18
Binghamton    0-10     0-22

Today’s Games

Hartford at Vermont, 1 p.m.
Maine at UMBC, 3:30 p.m.
Stony Brook at UAlbany, 7 p.m.
Boston U. at Binghamton, 7 p.m.

Junior point guard Mike Black talks about the upcoming game against Stony Brook and the 15th annual Big Purple Growl.

AP

This is a battle to go to 3-0 in the America East and should be a good game, down on Long Island.

UAlbany's offense will be tested today by a tough and tall front line for Stony Brook.

The Great Danes are coming off of back-to-back season-high scoring efforts, in their two conference games. They scored 88 points against Hartford and bounced back with 89 points against UMBC.

If UAlbany scores 80+ points again, I think they will be in good shape.

Gerardo Suero was just named Mid-Major player of the week, by NBAdraft.net. Suero is fourth in the country in scoring, averaging 22.1 points per game.

First off, here is a link to the game story - Heartbreaking loss for Danes in FCS playoffs

Here is the final play of the game, as Dan Di Lella's pass is intercepted in the end zone by Dominick Reyes.

UAlbany senior defensive end Eddie Delaney talks about the game.


UAlbany coach Bob Ford talks about the game.

STONY BROOK - What an incredibly good game, but a tough play that ended it for the University at Albany.

The Seawolves scored the last 21 points of the game, to advance to the second round of the FCS playoffs.

Stony Brook (9-3) will face Sam Houston State (11-0) next weekend.

UAlbany (8-4) had a 28-10 lead, but let the game slip away, something they'll probably never forget.

Dan Di Lella who set program-records for passing touchdowns (25) and yards (2,548), threw an interception with less than a minutes to play, in the end zone.

“That last play was not the right decision and it cost us the game,” he said.

 
The Great Danes should feel good about the season, but it's certainly a tough way to bow out.  

UAlbany coach Bob Ford coached the second half with a torn MCL, after being involved in a collision with receiver Ryan Kirchner, on the sideline.

“I think I can put it into perspective,” Ford said. “We had a great, great season.”

STONY BROOK - The University at Albany football team is playing very well right now.

A late, long touchdown pass from Dan Di Lella to Cole King has the Great Danes out in front by a score of 21-10 over Stony Brook.

UAlbany has done a good job of slowing down the explosive rushing attack. Brock Jackolski has 70 yards for the Seawolves, while Miguel Maysonet added 49 yards on the ground. Stony Brook has 107 yards on the ground, way less than its season average of 287 per game.

The Seawolves also have the top ranked offense in the country, averaging 39.6 points per game. 

The Great Danes also blocked a punt and Brian Parker returned it for a touchdown.

Drew Smith also has a 1-yard rushing touchdown in the game.

I'm expecting a very good crowd this afternoon at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, down on Long Island.

It will be the first Football Championship Subdivision postseason game for both Stony Brook at the University at Albany.

On top of it being a SUNY school rivalry, the two teams used to play together in the Northeast Conference. In addition, Stony Brook coach Chuck Priore is a UAlbany alum and got his start in coaching, with Bob Ford and the Great Danes.

Here are some links from Saturday's edition of the paper. 

UAlbany. vs Stony Brook game capsule 

Student Chuck Priore and his teach Bob Ford will match wits in NCAA playoffs

UAlbany, Stony Brook have traveled different paths to reach playoffs

The University at Albany men's basketball team finished tied for third last season in the America East and there are hopes for an even higher finish around the Great Danes' camp this year.

That's not exactly what the rest of the coaches around the league are thinking, selecting UAlbany fourth in the 2011-12 America East preseason poll, on Thursday, at the conference's media day, in Hartford, Conn.

The Great Danes are selected to finish behind Boston University, Stony Brook and Vermont.

UAlbany finished last season with a 16-16 overall record, 9-7 in the America East.

Tim Ambrose, the team's leading scorer graduated, but the Great Danes return the core of the squad, a team looking for a strong season.

The UAlbany women's team is selected to finish fifth under second-year coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson.

Junior guard Ebone Henry was selected to the preseason all-conference team.

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - UAlbany coach Will Brown talks about his teams 67-61 loss in the America East quarterfinals to Stony Brook.

HARTFORD, Conn. - Coach Will Brown said that his team had chance to win the game and they definitely did.

It was Stony Brook that made their chances count and ended the University at Albany's season for the second consecutive year with a 67-61 victory in the America East quarterfinal at Chase Arena on the campus of the University of Hartford.

With the Great Danes (16-16) trailing, 63-61, sophomore co-captain Logan Aronhalt fouled Leonard Hayes with 16 seconds to play, after what he thought was a missed shot.

The problem was that John Puk had actually blocked Chris Martin's shot and the shot clock was at four.

"It hit somehting, I wasn't sure," Aronhalt said. "I thought it hit the rim."

The Seawolves (14-16) made their final four free throws to escape with the victory.

Senior Tim Ambrose scored a game-high 24 points in what will go down as his final collegiate game for UAlbany.

Martin scored a team-high 18 points for Stony Brook, which advances to play the winner of the Binghamton-Vermont game, in Sunday's semifinal.

HARTFORD, Conn. - That was a pretty solid first half of play.

It was the Bryan Dougher show early as he hit four 3-pointers in the first four minutes of the game.

UAlbany coach Will Brown couldn't have been pleased with that, but the Great Danes defense picked it up and Dougher didn't score for the rest of the half.

The Great Danes were led by Tim Ambrose, who finished the first half with 14 points.

UAlbany hit some three's of their own, getting two from Ambrose, two more from Logan Aronhalt and one from Mike Black.

The Seawolves finished with seven 3-pointers in the first half.

Aronhalt chipped in 10 for UAlbany, while Eric McAlister has six for Stony Brook.

The winner of this game punches the first ticket into the semifinal.

It should be a good second half.